New Mexico county will require workers to get paid leave

August 21, 2019

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico county will require businesses with at least two employees to offer their workers paid leave.

The Albuquerque Journal reports the Bernalillo County Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday for the measure requiring businesses in the unincorporated areas of the county to give employees at least one hour of paid time off for every 32 hours worked.

The law calls for the amount of leave that workers can accrue to increase in phases.

During the law’s first year, workers cannot accrue more than 24 hours of leave. It increases to 40 hours in the second year and 56 hours in the third year.

The law takes effect July 2020.

Business advocacy groups had argued the measure would be costly and disproportionately affect small businesses.